September ninth I caught a Lasius Neoniger Queen! She is my first queen ever. She landed on my friends shoulder and then flew down to the grass where I caught her. Unfortunately, one on her antennas broke off while I was trying to move her into the test tube set up. Crossing my fingers she will live! I am planning on putting her in a plaster of paris formicarian that I make myself. Lasius Neoniger hibernates before she lays eggs so I will have to wait all winter before I see any real action, assuming that she lives. i'm not sure if I should give her a drop of honey to drink on yet or not... If anyone knows then that would be great! She chewed off her wings in the test tube yesterday. (Actually I'm using a flower water pick instead of a test tube.) Works fine! I'm excited about my new queen!

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Mojorisin wrote:I have been giving mine a very small drop of honey. Most of them (I have nine) have taken to it. I'm going to keep putting one drop in once a month just in case they get hungry. I also started a journal and I look forward to reading yours.

Thanks!

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Checked on my queen today! She is doing great! She drank a drop of honey already! Having only one antenna seems to not be bothering her at all! It's funny how every time I go to check on her I'm afraid she's dead and as I pull her out And she's not moving at first I'm like "no! She's dead!" for an eighth of a second. And then I realize she's fine So excited! I don't have any Idea how I'm gonna stand waiting all winter for her to lay eggs! I'm a little nervous about it. So much can go wrong between now and when she has a good sized colony. Anyways I'm just happy she's doing well!

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Took my queen out of hibernation a few weeks ago, now she has laid her first eggs! I keep her in a small safe in my closet. No, I'm not afraid of someone stealing her, It's just that my room is air conditioned and the safe keeps airflow from getting to her. This is my first queen ever, and I'm pretty surprised that she's still alive. Due to clumsy handling, she lost one of her antennas. She also got water logged once, but she seems perfectly well and is the best disabled mamma ant I've ever seen! (Not that I've seen many disabled mamma ants)

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.